European Exploration and Conquest

European Exploration and Conquest During the age of exploration Europe’s powerful nations greatly influenced numerous parts of the world. Britain, Spain, and France all took part in the rush to conquer newly discovered lands and other areas in Asia and the pacific. However, it didn’t just affect the lands that were being explored; it had a noticeable influence of the “mother” nations. New products were introduced, the European economy got a boost, new trading routs were opened, and new colonies were being established. When studied with more detail we can see effects on Europe and expeditionary lands during the age of exploration and today. Numerous new products were introduced to Europe as a result of exploration. For example, spices from India were in high demand in Europe which drove explorers to find faster and more efficient ways to transport goods from India. Explorers traveled great distances around the southern tip of Africa to reach the plentiful lands in East Asia. Marco Polo was the first major explorer to attempt to reach the Far East and find new trading routs. Polo was a Venetian who did his exploration of India and China in the late 1200’s. He showed that it was possible to sail and navigate to and from China and India. Others in Europe took notice of this because spices from that part of the world were highly valued and were in very high demand. The Silk Road came largely as a result of Polo’s travels. It roughly follows Polo’s land rout during his expedition. The Silk Road made it much easier to transport spices and other products to Europe. This wouldn’t have been possible without the exploration of the lands considered new to the Europeans that boosted their economy. Even though the Silk Road was the most effective transcontinental trade rout yet, a more efficient way of getting to the Far East was sought after. It was during this time period that the theory of the earth being round got more widely accepted. At the time they